Automatic universal balance testing machine



June 4, 1963 J. P. LANNEN AUTOMATIC UNIVERSAL BALANCE TESTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 22, 1958 18 Sheets-Sheet 1 I 5;; MiG

INVENTOR.

JOJPH P LANA/6W ATTORNE June 4, 1963 J. P. LANNEN AUTOMATIC UNIVERSAL BALANCE TESTING MACHINE 18 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 22, 1958 INVENTOR.

JOSEPH P LANNEN BY J ZTTORNEY a June 4, 1963 J. P. LANNEN AUTOMATIC UNIVERSAL BALANCE TESTING MACHINE 18 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 22, 1958 w mq INVENTOR JOSEPH P lAN/Vf/V BY il TTORIVE Y Z 9 mll June 4, 1963 J. P. LANNEN 3,091,970

AUTOMATIC UNIVERSAL BALANCE TESTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 22, 1958 18 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VEN TOR. JUSE PH 1? L ANNE N trme/vey z June 4, 1963 J. P. LANNEN 3,091,970

AUTOMATIC UNIVERSAL BALANCE TESTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 22, 1958 18 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY JOSEPH P LANA/EN.

J. P. LANNEN 3,091,970 I AUTOMATIC UNIVERSAL BALANCE: TESTING MACHINE June 4, 1963 i: Q :1 v. l;

18 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Sept. 22, 1958 INVENTOR.

fM/NEN JOSEPH 1P 1. BY

AAA TTORNEY June 4, 1963 J. P. LANNEN 3,091,970

AUTOMATIC UNIVERSAL BALANCE TESTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 22, 1958 18 Sheets-Sheet 7 *F M W 3 INVENTOR. JOSEPH P lflN/VE/V ATTORNEY June 4, 1963 J. P. LANNEN 3,091,970

AUTOMATIC UNIVERSAL BALANCE TESTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 2,1958 18 Sheets-Sheet 8 ATTORNEY IWQ i 7 mm "i; W v ch =i s h .g M E, M a: "m m Z y K June 4, 1963 .1. P. LANNEN 3,091,970

INVENTOR.

,. JOSEPH PLANNEN (I BY AAATTO/P/VEYR June 4, 1963 J. P. LANNEN AUTOMATIC UNIVERSAL BALANCE TESTING MACHINE l8 Sheets-Sheet 10 Filed Sept. 22, 1958 INVENTOR. dasfPh PL ANNE/v BY ATTOR V June 4, 1963 J. P. LANNEN 3,091,970

AUTOMATIC UNIVERSAL BALANCE TESTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 22, 1958 18 eets-Sheet 11 91 Ill" ||1'| W 'kqM ae 1 Hu l i I l, I

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BK 87b fit, 14A 98 A s7 1 9m Q INVENTOR. I T JOSEPH m/v/vz/v w) "Ji June 4, 1963 J. P. LANNEN AUTOMATIC UNIVERSAL BALANCE TESTING MACHINE l8 Sheets-Sheet 12 Filed Sept. 22, 1958 INVENTQR.

N y N N M p 6 m d w June 4, 1963 J. P. LANNEN 3,091,970

AUTOMATIC UNIVERSAL BALANCE TESTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 22, 1958 18 Sheets-Sheet 15 INVENTOR.

JOSE PH P L ANNE/v /ITTORNEY a June 4, 1963 J, P. LANNEN AUTOMATIC UNIVERSAL BALANCE TESTING MACHINE 18 Sheets-Sheet 14 W W? H Filed Sept. 22, 1958 L/OLYEIDH .P L ANNE N ATTORNEY Z June 4, 1963 J. P. LANNEN 3,091,970

AUTOMATIC UNIVERSAL BALANCE TESTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 22, 1958 18 Sheets-Sheet 15 INVENTOR.

/ JOSEPH P L/INNEN 3 A TTORNEY a June 4, 1963 J. P. LANNEN 3,0

AUTOMATIC UNIVERSAL BALANCE TESTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 22,. 1958 18 Sheets-Sheet l6 h HI A W M 11! WA June 4, 1963 J. P. LANNEN 3,

AUTOMATIC UNIVERSAL BALANCE TESTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 22, 1958 18 Sheets-Sheet 17 ATTORNEY I l R N m5 as k 9 $6 Ell m N I mimim$fi aw Tilw E33: FE {L I 1 m ll .%M T I 1 Q JH M June 4, 1963 J. P. LANNEN AUTOMATIC UNIVERSAL BALANC Filed Sept. 22, 1958 E TESTING MACHINE 1s Sheets-Shet 18 IN V EN TOR.

JOSEPH P L ANNE N ETTORNE fii M 4 bl m3 5:

:4 MIA m aw w f :3 m 3 i United States Patent 3,091,970 AUTOMATIC UNIVERSAL BALANCE TESTING MACHINE Joseph P. Lannen, Detroit, Mich, assignor to Micro- Poise Engineering and Sales Company, Detroit, Mich.,

a partnership Filed Sept. 22, 1958, Ser. No. 762,414 8 Claims. (Cl. 73483) This invention relates to machines and methods for testing work-pieces as to their universal balance and particularly for determining both the amount of any unbalanced weight and its particular radial location with respect to the vertical axis of a work-piece. The invention may be considered an improvement upon the subject matter of Patent 2,792,725, issued to me May 21, 1957.

In the identified patent, after disposal of a work-piece on a universally pivotal carrier, there may be initiated a cycle of operations including determination of amount and radial direction of unbalance, a rotative actuation of the piece to dispose its concentration of unbalanced weight beneath a cutting tool, and actuation of such tool to the extent requisite to correct unbalance.

An object of the present invention is to adapt workpieces to be successively and automatically delivered to the pivotal carrier of a testing machine, as the first step of an operating cycle and to be automatically ejected from the machine as the final step of such cycle.

Another object is to adapt the machineto so mark each piece during an operating cycle as to indicate both the amount and radial direction of any unbalance.

Another object is to effect both aforesaid markings in substantial concurrence.

Another object is to automatically mark the pieces, as aforesaid, in a manner affording ready eventual removal of the markings, while avoiding their premature disturbance or accidental removal.

Another object is to employ drops of initially molten Wax or the like as a marking medium, such drops immediately cooling, solidifying and adhering, when deposited upon a work-piece.

Another object is to adapt the machine to selectively apply markings of various colors, signifying various amounts of weight which must be applied to or removed from a work-piece to correct an unbalance automatically detected by the machine.

Another object is to equip such a machine with an automatic elevator initially and singly receiving pieces to he tested and serving in an initial uptravel to raise each piece, as received, into engagement by a mechanism for transferring such piece to vertical axial alignment with a pivotal carrier suited to subject the piece to a balance testing or other operation, the elevator then lowering the piece to a seat on such carrier.

Another object is to adapt the aforementioned transfer mechanism, in shifting a piece from an initial position on the elevator to a final position thereon, to eject a previously tested or otherwise treated piece from the machine.

Another object is to adapt the described elevator, in upward travel, to carry two work-pieces, one of which has just been delivered to the machine, the other having been tested or otherwise treated upon the aforementioned carrier.

Another object is to provide a pair of coacting control heads for gauging the amount and indicating the radial direction of unbalance of work-piece, and to provide in an improved manner for effecting and controlling a relative travel of such heads.

Another object is to so automatically control the balance-testing mechanism, elevator-operating mechanism, and work-marking mechanism that a required sequence and timing will be established between their operations.

These and various other objects are attained by the method and construction hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the complete machine, indicating two circular work-pieces in dash lines.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1, the elevator being in its lower position.

FIG. 3 is an upward continuation of FIG. 2, showing the elevator in its raised position, with a work-piece in a partially advanced position on the elevator, the transfer arm being swung midway between its two positions shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a vertical section of the lower portion of the machine taken transversely thereof on the line 44 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4A is a fragmentary section taken approximately on the line 4A-4A of FIG. 2, showing to a larger scale and in more complete section a portion of the mechanism appearing in FIG. 4.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 2, and particularly showing a universally pivoted work carrier.

FIG. 6 is a vertical section on the line 6--6 of FIG. 4, particularly showing a pair of coacting control heads for gauging work unbalance.

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the same, taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 7A is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 7A7A of FIG. 7 and particularly showing one of several adjusting screws for a control head.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary vertical section on the line 88 of FIG. 7, showing control means for a limit switch.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary vertical section on the line 99 of FIG. 7 and showing another limit switch and its control means.

FIG. 10 is a horizontal section on the line lit-10 of FIG. 6, showing a mutually tangential relation of a pair of control heads, which in FIG. 6 appear in a coaxial relation.

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary vertical section on the line 1111 of FIG. 4, primarily showing a spiral spring and means for winding such spring and regulating its stress.

FIG. 12 is a top plan view of said spring and its controls, taken on the line 1212 of FIG. 11.

FIG. 12A is an elevational detail view of a bumpermounting ring appearing in FIGS. 11 and 12.

FIG. 13 is a vertical sectional view on the line 1313 of FIG. 1, showing a rotary wax-dispensing device for marking a workpiece to indicate its radial direction of unbalance.

FIG. 14 is a horizontal sectional View of such device, taken on the line 1414 of FIG. 13.

FIG. 14A is a fragmentary elevational view of said device taken on the line 14A14A of FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 enlarges a portion of FIG. 1 and is a top plan view of a wax-dispensing device for marking work to indicate its amount of unbalance, if any.

FIG. 16 is a vertical sectional view of said indicator, taken on the line 16-16 of FIG. 15.

FIG. 17 is a front elevational view of the same indicator.

FIG. 18 is a horizontal sectional view of said indicator, taken on the line 18-18 of FIG. 16.

FIG. 19 is a fragmentary enlargement of a portion of FIG. 1, showing a limit switch and means for controlling such switch responsive to loading of a work-piece on the elevator.

FIG. 20 is a sectional elevation of such switch and control means, taken on the line 20-420 of FIG. 19.

FIG. 20A is a cross-section of said means, taken on the line 2tlA2tlA of FIG. 20.

FIG. 21 is a fragmentary elevational view on the line 2.1-21 of FIG. 1, showing the control of two limit switches by a vertical rock-shaft, and means for rocking such shaft.

FIG. 22 is a horizontal sectional view of the same, taken on the line 22-22 of FIG. 21.

FIG. 23 is a fragmentary vertical cross section, taken on the line 23-23 of FIG. 2, showing a limitswitch and its control mechanism.

FIG. 24 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2424 of FIG. 1 and primarily showing drive means for the aforementioned radiusindicating, wax-ejecting marking device.

FIG. 25 is a cross-section on the lineZS-ZS of FIG. 5, enlarged to show a rack and pinion drive mechanism.

FIG. 26 is a similar view, in partial section, showing another position of such mechanism.

FIG. 27 is a diagram of electrical features of the machine.

Work Carrier and Its Universal Pivot (FIG.

surmounting the hollow base 1 of the machine is a plate 2 welded or otherwise rigidly secured to such base. Upstanding from such plate is a tubular post 4 clamped to the plate by a nut 5. Slidably fitted in and projecting above the post is a pin 6 seated at its lower end on the head of an adjusting screw 7 threaded in a plate 8 carried within the base on lugs 3a rigidly depending from the plate 2. Set into the top portion of the pin 6 is a short vertical length of flexible wire forming a universal pivot. The upper end of such wire is rigidly carried by and at the axis of said pin, and its lower end centrally mounts and suspends a work carrier 16 Whose upstanding tubular hub 10a has an interior lug 1% aflixed to said wire. The hub 10a has adequate annular clearance from the pin to afford a requisite slight tilting of the carrier, and the pin has a slot 11 opening in its periphery to adequately clear the free portion of said wire and accommodate and afford working clearance to the lug 1%. A sleeve 12 concentrically encloses the hub 10a, and has a flange 12a resting on the carrier 10. An adapter 12b is carried by the sleeve 12-, and a work-piece 13 may be slip-fitted on the adapter for balance testing purposes. A universal pivot of the type above described is disclosed in greater detail in my Patent 2,349,288, issued May 23, 1944.

Relief Provision for Universal Pivot (FIGS. 5, 25, 26)

When a work-piece is being applied to or removed from the described carrier, it is highly desirable to safeguard the pivot wire 9 from consequent stresses which might otherwise damage or break such wire. For this purpose, a sleeve 17 is slidably fitted on the post 4 and is afforded a slight up or down actuation responsive to rotation of a pinion 18 journaled on said post and seated on the plate 2. Such pinion may be driven by a rack-bar 1S: and carries a pair of upstanding headed pins 20. The lower end face of the sleeve has duplicate helical cam inclinations 17a seated on the heads of said pins, whereby a partial revolution of the pinion will slightly raise or lower the sleeve. -In raised position, the sleeve slightly elevates the carrier 10 and thus relieves the universal pivot. When lowered, the sleeve sufficiently clears the carrier to afford the latter a slight requisite tilting about the universal pivot. The rack-bar 19 derives its sliding actuation from a fluid motor 21 of piston and cylinder type.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 25 and 26, it is preferred to interpose a coiled spring 21a between the rack-bar 19 and a piston rod 21b included in said fluid motor, such rod having an extension 21c forming a tubular housing for the spring. The rack rigidly carries a bolt 21d extending centrally into and headed within the housing 21c, and the spring reacts between the head of such bolt and the housing end adjoined to the rack-bar. When the piston rod is driven to the right (FIGS. 25 and 26), its travel is imparted to the rack-bar by the housing 210, the spring maintains its expansion, and the resultant rotation of the pinion 18 serves to lower the sliding sleeve 17. When the drive is to the left, the spring 21a is somewhat compressed before such drive takes effect on the rack and pinion to raise the sleeve 17. This avoids any undue wedging of the sleeve 17 in its raised position, due to gradual inclination of the cam faces 17a, since the spring 21a will undergo a slight further compression in preference to wedging the pins 26 against the raised sleeve.

A limit switch LS9 surmounts the base 1 in proximity to the spring housing 210 and is controlled by a bell crank. 21g whose power arm bears on siad spring housing. An annular cam 21 fixed on the piston rod 21b is adapted to effect upward or downward rocking of said bell crank according as said housing is driven to the left (FIG. 25) or right (FIG. 26). This results in opening or closing the switch LS9 according as the sleeve 17 is raised or lowered. The function of the switch LS9 is hereinafter explained.

Tilting Control Head (FIG. 6)

Rigidly secured, as by screws 22a, to and beneath the flange 12a of the sleeve 12, is the inverted hub 22 of a spider having three, or some other plurality of projections 22b normally occupying a horizontal plane, and rigidly mounting parallel downwardly extending rods 23, equidistant from the vertical axis established by the universal pivot 9 when said carrier is in balance. Said rods extend freely through openings 24- in the plate 2 and are thus afforded such swinging as is induced by tilting of the carrier. The rods 23 terminate in the lower portion of the base and have their lower ends rigidly interconnected by a normally horizontal spider 25. Rigidly and centrally surmounting such spider, is a hollow metallic control head 26 having an inverted frusto-conical upper portion 27. The interior chamber of such head opens upwardly through and conforms to the upward flare of such portion.

It will now be evident that the carrier 10, spider 22, 22b, rods 23, spider 25, and head 26 jointly form a vertically elongated balancing unit, and that an axis of equilibrium for such unit is established by the universal pivot 9, and that such axis may diverge from the fixed vertical pivot axis proportionately and responsive to any tilting of the-work carrier 10. It is essential to accurately center the head 26 at said axis of equilibrium of the balancing unit. By means of three set screws 26a, installed upon the spider and adjustable along radii of said head, the latter may be adjusted in any lateral direction toassure its desired centering.

Sliding Rotary Control Head (FIG. 6)

Coacting with the head 26, within and normally upwardly spaced from the latter, is a smaller metallic head 28, having an inverted frusto-conical periphery, inclined in parallelism with the flared inner face of the head 26, when the two heads are coaxial. To adapt the head 28 for travel along the fixed vertical axis determined by the universal pivot 9, such head is rigidly held by a nut 29 on the lower end of an upright shaft 30, slidable and rotatable within a vertically elongated bearing 31. The latter is rigidly clamped at its upper end by a nut 32 to a cross-bar 33 suitably fixed within the base 1.

Slidable up and down on the bearing 31 is a sleeve 34 formed with a coarse exterior screw thread and having a vertically elongate slot 35. A roller 36 journaled on a pin 37 radially projecting from the bearing 31 is so fitted in the slot 35 as to prevent rotation of said sleeve, while afiording the latter its intended up and down travel. An annular flange 38 rigidly carried by the shaft 30 is set into a recess in the lower end of the sleeve 34 and is retained in such recess by a flange 39o interiorly formed on an insulating collar3-9 threaded on the sleeve. This permits a rotation of the shaft 30 independent of the sleeve, while requiring the shaft to participate in sliding 

8. IN A UNIVERSAL BALANCE TESTING MACHINE, THE COMBINATION WITH A WORK CARRIER AND A MARKING DEVICE SPACED UPWARDLY FROM SAID CARRIER TO CLEAR A WORKPIECE ON THE CARRIER AND FORMED WITH A PLURALITY OF CHAMBERS TO RECEIVE DIFFERENTLY COLORED LIQUID MARKING MEDIUMS, AND INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF PUMPS RESPECTIVELY HAVING INLETS THERETO FROM THE RESPECTIVE CHAMBERS AND HAVING OUTLETS DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED TOWARD SAID CARRIER, OF A PLURALITY OF ACTUATORS RESPECTIVELY TAKING EFFECT ON THE RESPECTIVE PUMPS, MEANS FOR GAGING THE MOMENT OF UNBALANCE OF A WORKPIECE ON SAID CARRIER, SUCH MEANS INCLUDING A DRIVE ELEMENT, AND MEANS DRIVEN BY SUCH ELEMENT FOR ENERGIZING ONE OR MORE OF SAID ACTUATORS ACCORDING TO THE GAGED MOMENT OF UNBALANCE, WHEREBY THE PIECE IS MARKED BY ONE OR MORE OF SAID MEDIUMS TO INDICATE SAID MOMENT. 